Lance Armstrong has confessed to doping during his Tour de France victories

I view this situation as one big lie.

Lance Armstrong

During an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong said that he used a mixture of drugs to boost his performance for all seven of his Tour de France victories.

During his record run, from 1999 to 2005, he used blood-boosting agent EPO, blood doping, testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone.

He told Winfrey: "I view this situation as one big lie.

"This story was so perfect for so long.

"I try to take myself out of this situation and look at it: you overcome the disease, you win the Tour de France seven times, you have a happy marriage, you have children.

"It's this mythic, perfect story and it wasn't true."

Describing it as a "win at all costs" mentality, Armstrong said it all started when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but carried on during his recovery.

But he firmly denies doping during his comeback in 2009 and 2010 when changes were made to the drug testing regime in cycling.

ABOVE: Armstrong made the confessions to Oprah Winfrey

Armstrong said that his success down to doping "didn't feel wrong at the time", and saw it more as a result of the culture.

He added: "I just went in and looked up the definition of 'cheat', and it was to gain an advantage over a rival or foe.

"I viewed it as a level playing field.

"Of course, hindsight is perfect. I know it a thousand times more now.

"I didn't know what I had. Look at the fallout."

Armstrong - who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and Olympic medal - went on to deny claims he tried to cover up drugs tests by making a donation to the International Cycling Union, as well as claims that he tried to have other riders fired from his team for refusing to dope.

He now accepts that some people won't forgive him, describing himself as a "bully" for "trying to control the narrative".

Part 2 of Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey will air on Friday (2am Saturday UK time) on the OWN network and worldwide on oprah.com